White Ribbon Campaign

The WRC is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women. It relies on volunteer support and financial contributions from individuals and organizations.

In 1991, a handful of men in Canada decided they had a responsibility to urge men to speak out against violence against women. They decided that wearing a white ribbon would be a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women. After only six weeks preparation, as many as one hundred thousand men across Canada wore a white ribbon. Many others were drawn into discussion and debate on the issue of men's violence. There are now White Ribbon Campaigns operating in many countries around the world.

The UK Branch of WRC was started in 2004.

VPA focal person

Christopher Green is Executive Director of the White Ribbon Campaign (UK) . Previously he has been a youth worker, community worker, trainer in communication skills, and senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He has lectured in China, Tanzania, Russia, Finland and the United States. He was a reporter for the Daphne Toolkit Project developing a database of all the anti-domestic violence projects funded through the Daphne programme.

He is a member of the Council of Europe Task Force to combat Violence against Women., planning a 15 month long European wide campaign to start in November 2006.

He is particularly interested in developing and exchanging good practice on positive ways to involve men in anti-violence campaigning. He is responsible for the White Ribbon Campaign UK work on Sport which is supported by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Department of Culture Media and Sport, and the Professional Footballers Association.